In the hospital, overexertion injuries are common. For many nurses, they end up dealing with serious back injuries, often stemming from manually handling patients.
This is a risk that can be hard to avoid. After all, nurses may be tasked with activities like:
- Replacing the sheets on a bed while a patient is still in it
- Repositioning a patient on a bed or in a chair
- Lifting a patient into bed or helping them get out
- Repositioning a patient from one side to the other, perhaps to prevent bedsores
- Transferring a patient from a chair to a bed or vice versa
- Helping a patient use the restroom or take a shower
Unfortunately, when a nurse has to do these types of activities on their own, they could suffer injuries because they have to lift heavy patients who may weigh significantly more than the nurse.
How can these injuries be avoided?
In some cases, special devices can be used to assist with lifting. Additionally, planning in advance can be helpful. A nurse may be able to avoid injury if they simply have assistance from another member of the staff when doing a critical transfer or lift.
The problem is that hospitals are a fast-paced work environment, so a nurse may not have time to wait for assistance or the use of a device. They may feel that they have to help the patient immediately, and that exposes them to injury risks.
When nurses do suffer from these musculoskeletal issues, it can result in significant pain that may keep them out of work moving forward. It is important for them to understand all of their rights to seek workers’ compensation benefits.